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Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

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mind <strong>and</strong> thus disturb one's practice.<br />

c. Most Vajrayanists have taken many initiations <strong>and</strong><br />

therefore many yidams are possible for them. A devoted<br />

practitioner may want to choose a definite yidam <strong>and</strong> he<br />

should do this according to what he thinks is suitable for<br />

his temperament. I, too, have taken many wangs <strong>and</strong><br />

after each one I found its meditation suitable for my<br />

practice, <strong>and</strong> therefore I was worried as to which deity<br />

to choose as yidam. At last I dreamed of the Karmapa,<br />

who instructed me to go to him; otherwise, he would<br />

depart for Lhasa. I went to him immediately <strong>and</strong> with<br />

his advice I settled this problem. I told him that I had<br />

practiced this <strong>and</strong> that yidam <strong>and</strong> got good results with<br />

all of them. The Karmapa said, "I shall see what is best<br />

for you." The next morning he told me what he had seen.<br />

Then in my dreams I saw that deity embracing a<br />

boy—<strong>and</strong> that boy was me. Since then, I have not<br />

changed my tutelary god (Yidam).<br />

d. One may ask a guru who has supernormal powers;<br />

then he may settle which is the disciple's yidam in a<br />

dream or by his meditative light. This last way is the<br />

best <strong>and</strong> highest.<br />

Relationship with the yidam:<br />

Suppose one chooses Tara as yidam, then one must<br />

always visualize oneself as Tara when practicing the<br />

sadhanas of other deities. Not only this, the relationship<br />

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